Psion
The striking fist or flashing sword pales beside a psion’s focussed stare. Psionic powers arise from a regimen of strict mental discipline developed over months and years of self scrutiny and subconscious discovery. Those who overcome their personal demons, fears, and other pitfalls of intense self reflection learn to call upon an internal reservoir of psionic power. Psions depend on a continual study of their own minds to discover an ever wider range of mental powers. They meditate on memories and the nature of memory itself, debate with their own fragment personalities, and delve into the dark recesses of their minds’ convoluted corridors. “Know thyself” is not just a saying for a psion – it’s the road to power. Adventures A psion adventures to stimulate his mind. New experiences translate to new avenues of thought, and eventually to the discovery of previously latent abilities. A psion’s powers are innate but not effortlessly attained. Good psions seek what is best in the world and attempt to preserve those elements with their mastery of mental powers. Evil psions seek to mould others to their own desires, whether using their powers openly or in secret. Characteristics The psion draws real power from his mind. His power is a logical expression of lore attained through ongoing self-study. His aggressive powers do not freely scale as do the spells of arcane and divine casters, but he enjoys supreme flexibility in accessing those powers. A psion must choose one discipline in which to focus, at the cost of losing access to the signature powers found in other disciplines – so in a sense the psion character class is six classes rather than one. A shaper is a very different character from a telepath. Alignment For a psion, psionics is a personal art. Psions look always inward, so they tend slightly toward neutrality over both chaos and law, but being neutral is not a requirement. Psions can be either good or evil. Religion Psions are as religious as anyone else, and their deity of choice is often determined by their outlook and upbringing. Background Those destined to be psions show signs of mental powers from the time they are just a few years old, but manifestations become especially noticeable at puberty. Unexplained noises and lights, crockery flying through the air of its own accord, and the appearance of small items out of thin air are common occurrences. Many who have the gift grow out of it, turning away from their potential. However, a few embrace their newfound special powers. Psions are often on their own, misunderstood and feared by friends and family. Sometimes, psions find others with similar abilities and form informal networks, small societies, or even tiny communes populated with individuals who all possess some psionic ability. Role A psion’s powers make him a good addition to any party. Psions take on differing roles within a party, based on the discipline each one selects. For example, seers serve to guide parties in difficult spots, while shapers vastly upgrade the party’s options in a fight. Psionic Disciplines A discipline is one of six groupings of powers, each defined by a common theme. The six disciplines are clairsentience, metacreativity, psychokinesis, psychometabolism, psychoportation, and telepathy. Every psion specialises in one discipline, and the following is a list of these specialist sub-classes. Category:Class Category:Base Class Category:Psion Category:Psionics